Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes probably didn’t originate as a Southern dish, but have become a Southern classic over the years. It is thought that they were introduced in the Midwest and Northeastern parts of the United States by Jewish immigrants. By the early part of the 20th century, Fried Green Tomato recipes began popping up in newspapers, magazines and restaurant menus (for breakfast, lunch and dinner).
INGREDIENTS
8 Slices of Bacon
1 Large Egg White
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Cornmeal
¼ Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Medium Green Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Chives
Cut the tomatoes into ½ inch thick slices and set aside. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble the bacon and set aside the skillet with the bacon drippings. In a pie plate beat the egg white and salt together. On a piece of waxed paper combine the cornmeal and ground pepper. Dip the tomatoes in the egg mixture, pressing so the mixture sticks to the tomatoes. Place on a separate piece of waxed paper. Heat the bacon droppings in the skillet over medium high heat. Cook the tomatoes for 1 ½ minutes on each side, in batches, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place tomatoes on a serving platter and top with the bacon and/or chives. Serves 6
Crawfish Etouffee
True confession…I have to confess that I used to be afraid of crawfish. It all started when I was about 5 years old riding in the back seat of an Oldsmobile going fishin’. There was an old Folgers’s coffee can on the back floorboard filled with live crawdads for bate. Somehow the crawdads forced the plastic lid off the coffee can and began crawling up the seat toward me. I don’t think I have screamed that loud since then.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Celery
½ Cup Chopped Green Pepper
14 Ounces Chicken Broth
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onions
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
7 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Bay Leaf
1 Pound Fresh Peeled & Cooked Crawfish
3 Cups Hot Cooked Rice
In a large skillet heat the 1/3 cup olive oil over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the flour until smooth. Cook the roux over a medium low heat for 20 minutes until the mixture is dark reddish brown. Stir frequently. Next, add the onion, celery and green pepper. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken broth, green onion and parsley, garlic, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add the crawfish and cook until warmed through. You can substitute crawfish with shrimp if you wish. Just make sure that you use 1 ½ pounds of shrimp that has been peeled and deveined and cook until opaque. Throw away the bay leaf and serve over rice. Serves 6
Homemade Habanero Hot Sauce
This sauce is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!! Get yourself a doctor’s note and proceed with caution!
INGREDIENTS
20 Fresh Habaneros
5 Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Champagne Vinegar
½ Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Raw Sugar
Slice and remove the insides of the habaneros. If you want hotter sauce you can use the insides in the sauce as the seed are the hottest part of the habanero. Peel the garlic and cut into quarters. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Oil a pan and roast the habaneros and garlic for 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Make sure that you keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn. Roasting the habaneros and the garlic really adds to the flavor.
After removing the habaneros and garlic from the oven, put them into a food processor and add the champagne vinegar, water, sea salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, raw sugar and puree. If you find that the sauce is too thick then add more vinegar and water in equal parts. Pour into a storage container or bottle and refrigerate. This sauce should keep for quite awhile. Use it on eggs, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, pasta, rice dishes or anything that you want to add a kick to. Makes 1 ½ to 2 cups
Hush Puppies
Great served with fried fish!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Cornmeal
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Beaten Egg
½ Cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onion
Cooking Oil For Deep Fat Frying
In a medium bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate medium bowl combine the egg, sour milk or butter milk and green onion. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened and make sure not to over-mix. The batter should be lumpy. Drop the batter by tablespoons into the deep hot oil. The oil should be at least 375° F. Fry for 3 minutes until golden brown and turn once. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Makes 15 Hush Puppies
Southern Fried Catfish
Southern Fried Catfish is great Soul Food and great for the soul! The ultimate comfort food!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Catfish Fillets
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Beaten Egg
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Milk
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Coarsely Crushed Pretzels
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 Lemon Sliced Thin
Please use fresh catfish for this dish! Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving sized pieces in need be. Place the flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish combine the egg, mustard, milk and pepper. Beat with a whisk until smooth. In a third shallow dish (yeah, I know, lots of dishes) place the coarsely crushed pretzels. Coat both sides of the fillets with flour. Dip the fillets in the mustard mixture and coat with crushed pretzels. In a large skillet cook the fish in the hot oil over a medium heat for 4 minutes per side until golden brown and the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Serve with lemon slices. Serves 4
Southern Fried Chicken
Before World War II, the only times most families had chicken were special occasions like holidays and Sunday dinners. Fried chicken used to be an expensive treat only eaten a couple of times a year. Due to the creation of large scale chicken farms chicken has become much more affordable. As a child I remember eating fresh killed chicken at my grandmother’s house in Nebraska. She had a special tree stump that she used as her chopping block.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pounds of Chicken Pieces
1 ½ Cups Whole Milk or Buttermilk
2 Large Eggs
2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Cups Vegetable Oil
Rinse and pat dry the chicken pieces. Set aside. Combine the milk and eggs in a medium sized bowl and mix well. In a large zip lock bag combine the flour, salt and pepper. One at a time dip the chicken pieces in the milk mixture and let the excess drip off into the bowl. Put one or a few of the chicken pieces in the zip lock bag with the flour and shake lightly to coat thoroughly. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. In a fryer or in a heavy skillet heat the oil to 350° F. Fry a few pieces of the chicken at a time for 10 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. The breasts should take a bit less time than the other pieces. Test with a fork to see if the juices run clear to check for doneness. Remove to a plate covered with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Sprinkle with additional salt if you like. Serves 4
Corned Beef Hash
Corned Beef Hash is a breakfast tradition, especially with a freshly poached egg on top. You can purchase cooked corned beef or use leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 Large Chopped Onion
3 Cups Chopped Lean Cooked Corned Beef
3 Cups Cooked Potatoes
1 Red Bell Pepper
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Parsley
In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Stir often. Stir in the corned beef, potatoes, red pepper and pepper until well combined. Cook for 15 minutes and press the hash down firmly with a spatula until the bottom of the hash has browned. With the spatula, turn the hash over one small section at a time. Cook for another 10 minutes and, again, press down with the spatula and cook until the second side has browned. When finished cooking remove from the stove and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4
Beantown Baked Beans
This recipe is so easy. All you need is simmering time!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Dried Navy Beans
2 Chopped Onions
1 Cup Water
½ Pound Diced Bacon
½ Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Molasses
5 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 ½ Teaspoons Dry Mustard
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Soak the beans in enough water to cover plus three inches over night. Drain the beans and place in a large pot. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to simmer and add onions, water, bacon, brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, garlic, salt, dry mustard & black pepper. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 hours. After cooking for some time add water as needed. Serve hot as a side dish. Serves 6
Welsh Rarebit
The first recorded use of the term Welsh Rabbit was in 1725. It is said to be an ironic name coined in the days when the Welsh were notoriously poor and only well-to-do people could afford meat from the butcher. In England rabbit was the poor man’s meat, but in Wales cheese was the poor man’s meat. The slur against the Welsh was, “if a Welshman went rabbit hunting then this would be his supper.”
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Mustard Powder
½ Teaspoon Cayenne
¾ Cup Dark Beer (Guinness)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Pound Grated Semi-Hard Cheese (Cheddar, Double Gloucester, Comte, Gruyere)
4 to 8 Pieces Light Toasted Bread
Put the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts stir in the flour. Continue to cook for 5 minutes (stir occasionally) until golden brown and very fragrant. Stir in the mustard and cayenne and then whisk in the beer & Worcestershire sauce. When the mixture is uniform, turn heat to low and stir in the grated cheese. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to set. You can refrigerate for up to a day. Spread the mixture thickly on toast and put under the broiler until bubbly and edges of the toast are crisp. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Chicken Pot Pie
I remember eating the TV dinner chicken pot pies growing up. Even as a kid I thought that the frozen ones were horrible. Homemade chicken pot pie is so much better. If you don’t feel like making your own crust purchase a prepared one.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Cubed Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Green Peas
½ Cup Sliced Celery
1/3 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Chopped Red Onion
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 ¾ Cups Chicken Broth
2/3 Cup Milk
1 (9inch) Unbaked Pie Crusts
Preheat the oven to 425° F. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a separate saucepan cook onions in the butter until soft and translucent over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over low heat until thick. Remove from the heat and set aside. Place the chicken mixture in the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the hot liquid mixture over the chicken mixture. Cover with the top crust and seal the edges. Cut away any excess dough. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8
